


The Sincerest Form of Flattery

by starfishing



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-23
Updated: 2006-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-21 19:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/228901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starfishing/pseuds/starfishing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In retrospect, Jirou decided that the fifty laps were worth being able to use the word 'flabbergasted' in application to Atobe Keigo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sincerest Form of Flattery

"Jirou, wake up."

"Nnnmmn."

"Akutagawa Jirou, you wake up right this instant, or I'll make you run laps this afternoon."

"Nnnnyou can'dothat."

"Yes, I _can_. Now sit up; we're in class."

The honey-haired boy sat up, looking appropriately disgruntled. "I'm not carrying your books after class," he said in a tone better suited to a small, undisciplined child and the phrase 'I'm not playing with you anymore, so there.'

"I am perfectly capable of carrying my own books, thank you," Atobe returned, his words dripping condescending scorn. "Your assistance is not required."

"Good, 'cos you're not getting it," Jirou reiterated, finally opening his book.

"Fine."

"Fine."

" _Fine_."

" _Fine_."

Atobe felt his brow tick. "Be quiet."

"Be quiet."

A beat of silence passed. "Stop that."

"Stop that."

Looking over, Atobe found his star volleyer staring at him, face propped up by his hand. "What are you doing, Jirou?" he demanded, sounding a little more annoyed than he meant to.

"What are you doing, Jirou?" the older boy parroted, raising an eyebrow. Atobe was awash in indignance.

"Are you — _copying me_?" he asked, voice high with disbelief.

Jirou's eyes rolled back and his eyelashes fluttered. "Are you — _copying me_?" He even echoed his captain's inflection.

" _Stop_!"

" _Stop_!"

Atobe was stunned, and at a bit of a loss. Needless to say, no one had ever _copied_ Atobe Keigo before, much less done so in defiance of his orders. Frustration began to set in.

"Stop that. Right. Now."

Jirou stifled the end of a yawn in time to mimic, "Stop that. Right. Now."

"Jirou!"

"Jirou!"

This last pair of exclamations drew the attention of the teacher, as both boys were steadily rising above a whisper. "Atobe-kun; Akutagawa-kun? Is there a problem?"

For his part, Atobe was looking scandalized. He stood, pointing a righteously outraged finger at Jirou. The latter looked particularly unimpressed. "He is _copying me_ ," Atobe said, his face an affronted mask.

The class was silent for a few shocked seconds. Eventually, it was broken by raucous laughter. Atobe's eyes widened as he looked around. _Surely_ they weren't all laughing at _him_. Certainly they knew better. And yet....

Shaking her head and skillfully hiding a smile, the teacher gestured. "Please, have a seat, Atobe-kun. If it's all right with you, I'd like to get back to the lesson."

Still shocked, he sank into his chair. The teacher turned away, back to the board, and Atobe recovered in time to shoot his friend a scathing look.

"You're acting like a child, Jirou."

"You're acting like a child, Jirou," Jirou echoed, and then, " _I'm_ acting like a child?"

The temptation to repeat after the other boy seized Atobe for just a moment, but he shook it off. He would absolutely not sink to Jirou's juvenile level. "Yes. You're acting like a child."

"Please. Did it occur to you that if you'd just shut up to begin with, I wouldn't have been able to do anything?"

Atobe paused. The smile over Jirou's lips said that he knew perfectly well that Atobe hadn't thought of it. Turning away, Atobe crossed one leg daintily over the other and studied his nails. Jirou would be getting no further rise out of him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jirou sit up straight and drape one of his legs over the other, then lift his hand and consult his fingernails. ... Was he... _still_ copying him, somehow? Atobe lowered his hand and stared at Jirou.

Jirou lowered his hand and stared at Atobe.

" _Jirou_!" Atobe burst out, coming unglued as the older boy started to laugh. Jirou leaned forward, resting his head on his desk, shoulders shaking.

"Atobe-kun! Akutagawa-kun!" the teacher was pointing to the door. "Up to the office, you two. I won't keep having these interruptions."

In retrospect, Jirou decided that the fifty laps were worth being able to use the word 'flabbergasted' in application to Atobe Keigo.


End file.
